1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tip elements of the type used with tweezer-type soldering handpieces to reflow solder, via conductive heat transfer, to effect the installation and removal of electronic components with respect to a substrate.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,101 describes a tweezer handpiece for the installation and removal of electronic components with respect to a substrate and tip elements for use therewith. This patent also discloses a tool for use in aligning pairs of tip elements which have multiple heating surfaces in bobbin units of the handpiece before they are secured in place, so that the heating surfaces of the tip elements will be properly aligned axially, transversely and rotationally. In addition to the simple fact that such an alignment tool is necessary, with the inherent extra cost and possibility for the tool to become lost or misplaced, the need to use such a tool can prove inconvenient and requires extra care to be used when reinstalling tips which have been previously used and have a quantity of solder that solidified after the tip element was removed from the heating handpiece. That is, when replacing such used tip elements, they cannot be closed on the alignment tool until the mass reflows, and at this point the handpiece must be held oriented vertically upward to keep the tool in place between the tip elements while the screws on the bobbins are tightened. However, if held vertically when the solder remelts, it can spill down onto the hand of the user if care is not taken to shake the molten solder from the tip elements before inserting the tool. Thus, it would be advantageous if the need for the alignment tool could be eliminated.